Two Jubilee aspirants in Nakuru miss nomination certificates

By JOSEPH OPENDA

Nominated Senator Martha Wangari, Jubilee Party’s nominee for the Gilgil parliamentary seat missed out on her certificate on Friday after the party informed her that her opponent, incumbent MP Nderitu Mathenge, had lodged a petition against her nomination with the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal in Nairobi.

Also missing out on the certificate is the Molo parliamentary seat nominee Kimani Kuria who was told by party official The Jubilee Party official Mr Swaleh Kadara that his document had been withheld because it had a typo error which needed to be corrected.

Mr Mathenge had been declared the winner in the primaries which were hotly contested between the two but Ms Wangari petitioned the party’s disputes resolutions tribunal which declared her the winner, arguing that the nominations was marred by irregularities.

In Molo, the sitting MP Jacob Macharia lodged a complaint with the Jubilee party tribunal challenging the results after he lost to Mr Kuria.

Last week Molo residents held a two day demonstrations after rumours went round that the certificate had been handed to Mr Macharia.

They blocked the busy Nakuru Eldoret highway causing a traffic snarl for over four hours forcing police to lobe teargas canisters in order to disperse them.

The protests prompted the tribunal to summon Mr Kuria after which it was confirmed that the certificate was yet to be issued.

Mr Kuria garnered 13,505 votes against Mr Macharia’s 8,701.

Mr Kadara has urged the supporters of the two aspirants to remain calm as the certificates will be handed over once the issues have been solved.